Final answer:
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines the continuum of care as the matching of an individual's needs with the appropriate care services. The AHRQ focuses on improving healthcare quality and matching services with needs is a critical aspect of their mission, which has global relevance as the demographic shifts towards an aging population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The definition of the continuum of care as "matching an individual's ongoing needs with the appropriate level and type of medical, psychological, health, or social care or service" is provided by option D) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The AHRQ is a governmental agency, which focuses on producing evidence to make healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. They work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other partners to ensure that the evidence is understood and used.
In the context of global health, organizations like the World Health Organization and nonprofit organizations aim to bring down the cost of healthcare and improve its quality, ensuring a better match between the needs of individuals and the care provided. As healthcare systems evolve, the growing proportion of elderly individuals worldwide presents a challenge in maintaining this continuum of care, highlighting the importance of suitable matching of services to the changing demographic needs.